The Portland daily press., 1887-03-26
STEAMSHIP ASHORE.
Narrow Escape of the French Steam
er Scotia.
A Rough Passage but Fortunately
No Loss of Life.
The Steamer and Cargo VIII Prob
abybe Saved.

FIRE ISLAND, March 25.-The French
steamer Scotia, which sailed from Marseilles
Feb. 20, and Naples Feb. %, via Gibraltar
Feb. 27, for New York, went ashore near
Black Point Station, L. l., yesterday morn
ing. She went ashore at o'clock.
The Scotia is a screw, brig rugged steamer,
3S5 feet in length, 40 feet in breadth, and %
feet in depth. She was built at Leith,
Scotland, in 1881, and is owned by Cyprien
Fabreolo & Co. of Marseilles.
New York, March 26.-It was learned at
the office of the passenger agent of the
Fabre Line that the Scotia has ON board 900
passengers, most of them steerage passen-
gers. 1t was not known positively whether
there were any cabin passengers. The pas
sengers had been transferred to the Scotia at
Naples from the French steamer Burgundia,
which was damaged in collision with the
man-of-war italia as she was leaving Naples
on Feb. II. Her cargo consists of Italian
produce. despatch received by the pas
senger agent at noon said that the passen-
gers were all safe and would be taken to
New York tomorrow.
Steamer Scotia at s o'clock this evening
was lying easy in about two fathoms of
water 200 feet from the shore. The wind
and waves had abated and the weather was
fine, but she was working slowly in through
the pounding of the rising tide. The life
saving crew had landed 100 passengers on
the beach when orders were given late in
the afternoon to keep the passengers on
board until the arrival of barges from New
York for their reception. This caused con-
siderable grumbling as the people on the
vessel complain that they have had but little
foOd Tor some time past while they have had
to pay for water to drink. Wrecking tug /.
J. Merritt arrived atabout 4.30 o'clock and
anchored near by, ready to render all neces-
aGSlSt9npR PQCSppOprC
being cared for tonight, and those on board
Will probably be taken to New York t0mor-
row on barges. The vessel is leaking and
the pumps are kept continually at work, but
1t is thought she will eventually be pulled
off all tight and her cargo saved.
No statement has yet been made by the
captain or officers of the Scotia in regard to
her experiences during her exceedingly
rough voyage of over 80 days. From other
sources it is learned, however, that for near
ly 70 days the steamer met series of storms,
huge waves flashing over her decks, and at
times threatening to submerge her. Her APP
pearance gives unmistakable evidence of a
hard voyage. Her masts and rigging are
gone and her decks are in general disorder.
Her machinery had been of little use for a
week. This morning when Capt. Ruffet, who
had remained on the bridge most of the time
during the past week, found that the vessel
was near the beach, and as the storm did
not abate he determined to beach her, and
III oluCl w Keep utT niOT6 ol6duy ue UrueTtu
the masts cut away. The fact that the
steamer went ashore with her head north
east, directly opposite to her proper course,
would indicate that she had been tossing
about with but slight control. When she
stuck the beach, the thud and tremor awoke
the passengers. A scene of inexpressible
excitement prevailed women and children
screaming and praying aloud, while stalwart
men ran about shouting and gesticulating
wildly. 1t was hardly daybreak when the
vessel grounded, and those ON board could
not distinguish the land ahead, and it was
not until the life-saving crew reached the
ship that the captain knew just where he
was.
There are from HOO to 1900 people on board.
During much of the stormy weather it has
been necessary to keep the poor emigrants
packed like sardines in the stee-age, where
they were subjected to great sutferings. As
the steamer tossed they were pitched out of
their berths, and thrown from side to side.
Several men and women are suffering from
fractured limbs or serious bruises, while
the bodies of many children are black and
blue. 1t is proyidential that the storm died
down when it did this morning, or few
would have reached the land to tell the
story of their experiences.